Would football be more enjoyable without commentators?

OleBoiii

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Oct 4, 2019
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I'm probably in the minority, but I think it would...

I was watching a match the other day. Due to technical difficulties the sound from the commentators was gone for 5 minutes or so. This wasn't a new experience, but it reminded me of something I've been thinking for quite some time: football is best when you only hear the sounds from the stadium and the game itself. With commentators gone, the only thing I'd miss is information about things happening off screen.
 
Any football match is fine to listen to so long as the following aren’t on co commentary

McManaman
Jenas
Redknapp
Murphy
P.Neville
 
I've always thought this, and was chuffed to hear Amazon Prime offer a 'stadium noise only' option on their new streamed games. Thought I was set for life... but actually I found it oddly distracting. I think I'm just too accustomed to it, for all that 95% of commentators drive me barmy.
 
No, not sure how could you survive 2 hours watching a game from some stadium with dead atmosphere. I personally don't like BT commentators and always watch NBC as I quite like the commentators they got there.
 
I like commentary, I fecking loathe inane drivel, pointless stats, and matey back-slapping with the colour men.

Bring back Barry Davies.
 
I think the option to turn off the commentary should be present however I prefer to have it on. I can cope without it, I've watched games without the sound and I've watched games with commentary in languages I don't speak.
 
Prefer commentary but the combination of Ian Darke and McManaman is unbearable and more often than not they let McManaman commentate our European games.
 
Yes and no. It's like watching a movie without subtitles, you are forced to pay closer attention because the information is no longer hand fed to you. But it's tedious when done often, unless you really enjoy analyzing the tactics. We watch it for the entertainment after all, and the emotion from the commentators adds to it
 
When Fox Sports used to have rights to CL matches, their streaming service had options for no commentary. It was actually kind of nice.
 
Whoever it is at NBC gold or whatever that channel is - they’re an atrocious couple. Infuriating to listen to because they consistently shove their aggressive opinions on matters and some of them are just flat out wrong and absurd. Constantly get it wrong on calling fouls on replays/VAR as well. It’s hard to listen to when there’s no one setting them straight in all the bullshit they’re spitting
 
WR10 said:
Whoever it is at NBC gold or whatever that channel is - they’re an atrocious couple. Infuriating to listen to because they consistently shove their aggressive opinions on matters and some of them are just flat out wrong and absurd. Constantly get it wrong on calling fouls on replays/VAR as well. It’s hard to listen to when there’s no one setting them straight in all the bullshit they’re spitting
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Arlo White and Lee Dixon?

Both fecking awful.
 
The games on Amazon were great as you could turn the commentary off. Felt like the next best thing to being at the game. Love hearing the crowd reaction and the ball fizz against the net when a goal goes in, instead of hearing a hysterical commentator feigning excitement.

Commentators are now often accompanied by 2 co-commentators. It's just overkill, not to mention a lot of them to display a great level of bias towards former club and whatnot. I hope it becomes an option to turn it off on all platforms eventually.
 
I also really like the Amazon stadium only option, much better.
 
I think the main problem is British commentators. I love listening to Spanish or Latin American commentary.

But yes I'd happily just have music playing rather than listen to Motson, Townsend, Lawrenson, Hargreaves, Tyler and all the other boring plonkers we've been subjected to over the years.
 
The commentators on here in NL are always very negative about the club, always ridiculing the likes of Fred and Maguire because of how much we've paid for them, etc. It's infuriating. When we played Brugge it was especially annoying because the commentator was so pro Brugge you'd think we were playing a Dutch club instead.
 
Can't say I've missed it too much when I've been watching live in the stadium. Obviously you miss replays a bit more there for the full story. Living in France has meant I watch United games with French commentary, so I mostly tune it out and it certainly hasn't impacted my enjoyment. And I get the benefit of not having commentators sell me some story of the game.

However I do think commentary can certainly add to the excitement of a big moment. It can make it feel a little extra special so it's not completely without its merits.
 
The problem is the commentators themselves. Likes of Macca etc are horrible, the amazon prime bunch were far better just called the game as it was with no agendas and no narratives. With sky and bt they’re always getting in little digs about something or the other. That’s their commentary style.

What do you do about it though really? Even if prime takes off the likelihood is some of the current lot will be taken over there eventually too. I will say it again, I really can’t stand macmannaman and he’s on every European game for English teams it gets to the point where you can’t even tune it out and is extremely off putting in trying to concentrate on the game.

Yeah the mute button is there people don’t pay money to have to mute the channel cause of how bad the coverage is.
 
The only thing I want to hear from a commentator is the name of the player on the ball. If it could be done by some kind of graphic rather than commentary, then all the better.
 
Had a good stream for todays game with foriegn commentary so turned the sound off and enjoyed the game probably more.

It was refreshing to not get annoyed at some of the absolute nonsense most UK commentators spout every game
 
Depends on the commentators. If someday They make a Premier League app to stream matches (or maybe They did it already?), I hope there will be "mute commentary" feature.
 
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In South America they are part of the show. And there is a guy named Mariano Closs, who apparently is the only commentator in all spanish speaking countries in the region.
 
Charles Miller said:
In South America they are part of the show. And there is a guy named Mariano Closs, who apparently is the only commentator in all spanish speaking countries in the region.
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Not exactly, he's the commentator for Fox Sports. There's plenty others in ESPN, DirecTV and so on. He's quite good and well known, though.
 
Play by play commentator is a must for me, and adds to the enjoyment most of the time...

...Colour commentators on the other hand can go take a flying leap. Completely unnecessary!
 
If the commentators are Owen, Keown and Tyler then definitely yes.

I can happily watch matches with russian or portuguese commentary and enjoy it, i wouldn't miss commentators much at all. I wish all channels gave us the option to turn them off.
 
stubie said:
Any football match is fine to listen to so long as the following aren’t on co commentary

McManaman
Jenas
Redknapp
Murphy
P.Neville
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Jenas is alright. Where's Hoddle though? Explaining to you exactly what you just saw.
 
I quite like it tbh, even the shit they talk about sometimes. Today the NBC guys were talking about Troy Deeney’s avocado smoothie diet and it did make me chuckle, more in the “what the feck are these guys talking about?” Than anything else.
 
OleBoiii said:
I'm probably in the minority, but I think it would...

I was watching a match the other day. Due to technical difficulties the sound from the commentators was gone for 5 minutes or so. This wasn't a new experience, but it reminded me of something I've been thinking for quite some time: football is best when you only hear the sounds from the stadium and the game itself. With commentators gone, the only thing I'd miss is information about things happening off screen.
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I totally agree. If I can‘t watch a game only with stadium audio, I rather watch it without sound. I feel like it‘s the only way not to be influenced by good or bad commentary. Then I can see and judge for myself without being swayed in one direction or another.

If some of you haven‘t done it before, you should really give it a go. It‘s a different experience. Some will think it sucks, but I love it.

I should add that I‘m talking about United. I usually have commentary on watching other teams, because I usually do something else on the side watching other games.
 
Adamsk7 said:
I quite like it tbh, even the shit they talk about sometimes. Today the NBC guys were talking about Troy Deeney’s avocado smoothie diet and it did make me chuckle, more in the “what the feck are these guys talking about?” Than anything else.
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That was a bit weird. Then Danny Higginbotham got accused of having that smoothie by the main guy and almost got offended by it.

I do like arguing with commentators though. Adds to the excitement sometimes. I mean, I know they cannot hear me but, it's fun to argue still.
 
Without freaking Arlo and Le Seaux (sp?). They make my ears bleed. I like your classic British announces, better than any sports announcers I hear in the States. (Besides Romo)
 
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